1/4 tsp. saffron, 150 g long grain rice, 800 g codfish fillet, Juice of 1 lemon, Salt, pepper, 1/2 (each) red, green, yellow pepper, 4 tomatoes, 1 tsp. butter, 150 ml fish fond or melted butter, 200 g cheddar cheese, A few chervil leaves
1. Bring the saffron to a boil in a pot of salted water, add the rice, cook it for about 15 minutes untel al dente, then quickly cool with cold water. Wash the fish fillets, carefully pat the dry, sprinkle lemon juice on both sides, season with salt and pepper, and cut into bite-sized pieces. Trim and wash the peppers, and cut them into strips. Wash the tomatoes, cut them in half, remove the stem-end core, and slice them.
2. Grease the roaster with butter, place 2/3 of the rice in it, arrange the fish and vegetables on top decoratively, and finish off by adding the rice. Place the lid on the roaster, pour the fish fond or melted butter into the Saft-O-Matic, and bake the casserole in a preheated 180 degrees oven for about 20 minutes.
3. Cut the Cheddar chesse into strips. At the end of the cooking period, remove the lid, place the Cheddar strips on top of the casserole, and bake in a 200 degrees oven for about ten minutes, until the cheese is slightly browned. Sprinkle chervil leaves on top to serve.
Today saffron is the most expensive of the spices. It comes from the dried filaments of a special type of crocus. These plants must be replaced every four years because they are so delicate. In addition, the plants only blossom for a brief two-week period. Saffron gives foods an intense yellow color and has a slightly bitter, honey-like flavor.
